Various designs of door hinges, particularly for the automotive industry, are known from the prior art. They serve for pivotably connecting a vehicle door to a vehicle body. In this context, it is particularly known to hold the vehicle door in a desired open position or a desired closed position relative to the vehicle body by means of a stop mechanism without requiring additional locking means.
For example, EP 2 568 103 B1 discloses a motor vehicle door hinge with a column console that is arranged on a vehicle body, a door console that can be connected to a motor vehicle door, a hinge pin that pivotably connects the door console and the column console and is non-rotatably connected to the column console, as well as pivotably connected to the door console, and a stop mechanism, wherein the stop mechanism comprises a brake insert that is non-rotatably connected to the door console and features a braking surface, as well as a stopping element that is non-rotatably connected to the hinge pin and features adjustable retaining surfaces in the direction of the braking surface. The retaining surfaces are arranged on two stopping element arms that are realized integrally with the stopping element and can be elastically displaced in the direction of the braking surface by means of an adjusting unit in such a way that the retaining surfaces rest against the braking surface. The brake insert is arranged between the two stopping element arms that respectively feature the retaining surfaces. The adjusting unit is designed in such a way that it presses the retaining surfaces against opposing braking surfaces of the brake insert, wherein the adjusting unit features a set screw, by means of which the stopping element arms can be displaced in the direction of the brake insert. In this case, the set screw extends between the stopping element arms in such a way that the distance between the stopping element arms can be adjusted with the set screw. The brake insert furthermore features contoured braking surfaces, i.e. the braking surfaces feature depressions and elevations relative to a principal plane of the braking surfaces, wherein a higher holding torque is generated in the region of the elevations and a holding torque, which is reduced in comparison with the principal plane, is generated in the region of the depressions.
EP 1 144 786 B1 discloses another pivot joint in the form of a door hinge, in which a device for locking a first motion element such as a door part on a second motion element such as a column part is movably coupled to the door hinge. A locking unit featuring a first and a second braking element is furthermore provided, wherein the first braking element consists, e.g., of outer disks and the second braking element consists, e.g., of inner disks. The first braking element is connected to the first motion element and the second braking element is connected to the second motion element. The braking elements can be engaged with one another under the influence of a force generated by a force application element in such a way that they are locked on one another, wherein the motion elements are likewise locked on one another in this case due to the connections between the braking elements and the motion elements. The force application element is realized, e.g., in the form of a spring. A mechanical switching unit is furthermore provided and can assume a coupled state and a separated state, wherein the switching unit changes over from the coupled state into the separated state when the motion elements are moved relative to one another and releases the force acting upon the braking elements in the coupled state such that these braking elements are engaged with one another. The switching unit furthermore comprises a first or a second actuating element, wherein the first actuating element is connected to the first motion element and the second actuating element is connected to the second motion element. The connection is respectively realized in such a way that the movement of the motion elements causes a rotational motion of the actuating elements, which are arranged on one another in such a way that they carry out a pivoting motion parallel to the rotational axis during a mutual change of position. The actuating elements thereby change their distance from one another such that the switching unit changes over from the coupled state into the separated state, in which the force acting upon the braking elements is blocked such that the braking elements are separated from one another. A coupling element, e.g. in the form of balls, is furthermore provided and converts the relative movement between the motion elements into a pivoting movement of the actuating elements, wherein the coupling element automatically returns into its starting position and thereby releases the force acting upon the braking elements such that the braking elements are engaged with one another.
BE 400 951 A discloses a decelerating device for a door closer system. In this case, friction disks are provided and displaceably arranged on an axis. The friction disks form two alternating groups, one of which is connected to the axis in a rotationally rigid fashion due to a cam and the other one of which is unable to turn about the body of the door hinge.
DE 42 12 181 A1 discloses a hinge with a stop mechanism and with spring-loaded stopping elements that are equipped with cam tracks and can be axially moved relative to a hinge pin. Frictional engagement elements are assigned to the stopping elements and connected to the hinge halves in a rotationally rigid fashion, as well as axially movable relative to the hinge pin, wherein the spring elements, stopping elements and frictional engagement elements are arranged within a closed hollow space formed by the two hinge halves.
Furthermore, special designs of the door stopping mechanisms are respectively known from DE 296 11 674 U1 and DE 42 07 706 A1, a tilt hinge is known from US 2005/0066475 A1 and an adapter for a connecting hinge of a tripod comprising torque disks is known from NL 6 612 273 A.